The Best Kids In Town

'Tis the season for Parent/Teacher Conferences and I LOVE them. It is such a pleasure to brag about the kids to their parents and see the delight in their eyes -- the kids and the parents!

Now, everyone who has ever attended school, even for one day, would know it was a big fib if I said everything at school was perfect every day, but most days are. :) -- It is wonderful to meet with parents and visit about the strengths of each child and the ways to best meet the needs of those with challenges. It is also heartening to see the concern and care parents take when they leave busy schedules to come to school and support our classroom.

I'm sure that I have the BEST KIDS IN TOWN all in my classroom!

Happy Fall,

Who am I??

What an interesting question to pose ... Who am I? And the assignment to include a photo of oneself. Hmmm. What do I want friends and strangers to know about me?

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, daughter and friend. I am a school teacher at a wonderful public school (first grade), and I think everyone ought to have the chance to view life through the eyes of a six-year old!

Last weekend I attended a workshop about keeping kids fit. One of the breakout sessions was all about hula hooping. I loved to hula hoop as a kid and found that I still love it! The woman teaching the class indicated that 10 minutes of hula hooping is the equivalent of a 2 1/2 mile run. She claims the loss of two dress sizes in two months of regular hoop use. -- Hope that proves true for me too! If it does I'll be the next famous fitness guru. Can you imagine a better way to keep fit than playing? ( I also wonder if I can market my marvelous hoops on etsy. Kind of a quirky item for a handmade gadget!)

Back to the "who I am" portion of this blog. I like to read, write, sew, cook, can, and compute. I don't like to clean, wash, run, or talk on the phone. I love to send snail mail, make charms, surprise family and friends, walk my Lucy-dog, and yard sale. I hate to sit on the floor, put away shoes, or eat peas.

I love being a mom and double love being a grandma. I love having the best friends in the world and I love my book club -- the books and the women!

Speaking of the book club, it is my favorite monthly activity. The members include 2 twenty somethings, 2 thirty somethings, 1 forty something, 2 fifty-ish, and 2 seventy plus, members. We take turns selecting the reading material. The discussions are always lively and we rarely all agree. Except, we all agree that we wouldn't trade the club for anything else.

If this post is somewhat disjointed it's because I'm a little sleep-deprived. Some weeks are just that way!

Transformations ... Enjoy the Ride

It's interesting that nothing ever stays the same for long. Change is inevitable from minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, year to year. Some changes come quickly and others take time. I am truly a creature of habit and have only learned to embrace change in the fairly recent past. I like routine and predictability. Life, however, is unpredictable.

I live high in the mountains of Northern Utah. Our weather is drifting from summer to fall and as the days shorten the first signs of the next season appear bit by bit. I saw a red leaf today, the lawn needs less water, the dahlias aren't blooming quite a prolifically, and children are speaking of Halloween...already? I saw a Christmas display in the mall last week too.

Some transformations are inevitable...they happen whether or not we want them to and whether or not we take any action. Others, though, we create ourselves.

The transformations I am working on, at present, are attitude changes. I want the ability to take life gently, to adapt more easily to the changes and bumps in the road we call life. I want to stop more often to enjoy the world through the eyes of the children in my life.

I remember riding in the car to the hospital, more than 28 years ago, to have our first child. I recall saying to my husband, "It will never be the same, never be just us again. Isn't it exciting!"

The changes of that day remain dear to my heart. I loved seeing the world through the eyes of the cute little red-head that joined our family on that day. He was, and is, an optimist. I love to think of the hot summer day when he was 3 and I was great with child awaiting his soon-to-be sister and our car broke down many miles from home. I was worried and shed a few tears. He said, "Don't cry mom, we'll take the city bus!" We did. It was an adventure, and all was well.

It is wonderful to watch a child grow, learn, explore, and transform into a parent himself. Now he and his dear wife have a 3 year old who imparts words of wisdom, and they are awaiting a brother or sister to add to their family. Life circles.

Take time to enjoy the ride no matter where the ride is taking you. It will always be an adventure.

Getting to Know You

Do you like to meet new people? -- One of the best things about a new school year is watching the new friendships form between children. It is completely delightful to watch them learn to love and care for each other. It is wonderful, for me too, to learn to love each of the children in my class as I learn about their individual strengths and just what I need to do to support them in learning new things.

My favorite kinds of learning are very rarely the lessons I plan, but more often the lessons the children bring up. I love the opportunities that fall into place unexpectedly.

Yesterday a smart little boy that I'll call Sam asked if pennies could float. In typical teacher fashion I asked him what he thought would happen if he tried to float a penny. He wasn't sure and thought we ought to try. The timing was off at the moment, but I told him if he'd remind me we'd do it tomorrow. Well, today was tomorrow and remind me he did!

We got out the bucket and 22 scientists sought out items to try. We filled a big plastic tub with water and took turns trying out many items. FYI: erasers of all kinds sink, playing cards float for a while and then sink later, pencils float, scissors sink, apples float and so do double dice, baby clothes pins kind of dance in the water neither sinking or floating, popsicle sticks and tongue depressors float even if you push them down first. -- This wonderful impromptu activity was fun, but the end result fantastic when my most difficult student, Mr. T, announced, "This was the best day ever! I'm going to tell my mom I love school."

Well, I love school too. Isn't it nice that I get to go every day? -- My wish for you, reader, is that you get to do what you love most each day too.

Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books....

Well, day 3 of a brand new school year is complete and I am a happy teacher! Every year I get the most wonderful first grade students on the planet, and this year it seems especially true. There are many things to smile about each day,... One of the first things I do each year is make sure we can all say the pledge appropriately and respectfully. Following the pledge we sing, "You're a Grand Old Flag." As I watched the children singing I noticed that the words, according to one young man, were "...every heart BEEPS true." :)

This time of the year is also BIRTHDAY SEASON at the White Silk Purse. We had the summer bash yesterday and celebrated 7 Happy Birthdays all at once. Many happy returns to Jared (28), Monica (32), Clark (20), Michael (3), Chris (52), Emily (25), and Jackie (17)! We had burgers, dogs, chips, baked beans, potato salad, lemonade and mint brownies with candles for the birthday folks. Yum.

Have I mentioned that I love canning season too? I've been busy with jams, jellies, pie fillings, berries and salsa. I always feel so "settled in" when I have full bottles on the shelf. Not to mention that it just looks cool! My mother in law likes to have them out where everyone can see them. Maybe a good idea! Beauty in a bottle.

Settled In for Sunday Evening

It seems that Sunday evening is my catch up time. It is the time I read the blogs of the week, listen to my children visit, and wind down as the new week prepares to wind up.

This week I've learned (or begun to learn) the ancient art of caring for a linoleum tile floor. You know, the old checkerboard kind that your grandmothers (or perhaps great-grandmothers) had in their kitchens. It involves square-by-square scrubbing multiple times with ammonia and a special floor cleaning product. When at last the floor is so clean you can no longer get a speck of dirt on your sponge or rag, it is time to apply the wax. It must go on in a very thin and even coat, dry for 8 hours, and be followed by another thin and even coat. Following this time consuming task, 8 hours later, the floor must be buffed and polished. I found a "brand new" (very old) electric floor polisher for this step. Apparently the previous owner of this magnificent device didn't ever get the hang of it. Hope I do! -- According to what I've read, the floor ought to maintain it's new high-gloss shine for quite some time with regular mopping. The multi-step hands and knees scrubbing ought to be only a once annual event. We'll see!!!

This coming week ought to be filled with the rest of the end of summer household cleaning chores. The following week its back to school chores and ready or not, the new school year will begin.

I love the smell of new crayons and freshly sharpened pencils. I can hardly wait...

Bits of Peace

Little by little I am learning how to blog. I love my new background from hotbiggityblog. There are several nifty choices.

All Sunday afternoons should be as lazy as the one I've just spent. Visiting, reading, walking puppies, listening to lovely piano music, and eating chocolate cake (warm) with gooey cream cheese frosting.

I ought to have some great insights, but not tonight. Just gratitude for peace.

Peace to all.

With thanks to a wonderful tutorial (Chocolate on my Cranium), I now have a snazzy signature. I may get the hang of blogging yet!

JUST FOR FUN!

I follow a few blogs here and there. One of my very favorites is Chocolate on my Cranium. Cocoa's insights are always wise and wonderful. I know I'd like this lady in person!

This week she posted an "offer" of sorts and challenged others to do the same. I think it's a good idea so I'll do it too. I know I'm not followed much and I don't know quite what you might get. Since I really like to cook, it may be something to eat. Every now and then I'm hit by a burst of craftiness so it may be home decor. I guess you'll just have to take your chances if you want to find out. 

The "rules" of this game are to commit to do the same. Post it to your blog and see what happens;) Good Luck! --

 For the first five bloggers to leave a comment on this post and commit to do the same pay-it-forward on their blogs I will do the following and if you are one of the five this is what you will paste in your pay-it-forward post too :

I am willing to post overseas (I am in the U.S.), but remember you must commit on your blog to do the same for others.

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I send you. But you may be pleasantly surprised. It will definitely be made by me.
2. What I send will be made just for you, with love, by my own hands. You'd be surprised how much of our personalities does come through online.
3. I will complete all 5 gifts this year - 2009. (So I guess the offer expires at the end of this year.)
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world, that you can touch,taste,  or feel, and not something cyber.
5. I reserve the right to do something strange. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. If you find it truly horrendous, just let me know. Perhaps you'll send it forward to someone who will absolutely love it.
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post (one for each).
7. Send your mailing address - after I contact you to confirm.

Spring Break Fun

A short two day trip to SLC with just the two of us! We plan to peruse the Apple Store and meet with a genius at the iPod bar. What a life!

R & R is the real goal of the weekend. Maybe a museum or a movie. Whatever strikes our fancy. It is supposed to pour down rain, but we like rain so all will be well.

Happy Spring!

Dandelions

I love dandelions. They are hardy survivors that create tiny spots of sunshine wherever they bloom.

Once I went to Ireland. Just outside a tiny grocer in a tiny town in County Wicklow there sat this marvelous display of potatoes. 

February 14

After perusing some delightful blogs I decided to create my own spot in space. We'll see how it goes!